


Whips and Chains

by PassiveFish



Category: One Piece
Genre: BDSM, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-13 05:35:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13563963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PassiveFish/pseuds/PassiveFish
Summary: Zoro has discovered he likes pain, which prompts Sanji into realising he likes inflicting pain. Will the chemistry between them cause unwanted feelings or is this mutual interest just something to pass the time? Who knows... Yaoi. Strong bdsm themes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I have just moved chapters 1 - 5 from fanfiction.net so haven't bothered writing any chapter notes as they have chapter notes on ff.net 
> 
> Hope my writing isn't too shoddy!
> 
> PF x

 

Zoro groaned, his arms bound tightly across his back whilst his dick ached to be touched, a tie wrapped snugly around its base. He was kneeling, with a spreader bar between his knees as a riding crop rained itself down on his skin. It struck his skin unpredictably, which had his heart rate maintaining its heightened pace due to the fact he was blindfolded.  
A dress-shoe pressed his dick up against his stomach, sliding its way down to gently toe at his balls. Zoro let out a wanton moan which morphed into a groan as the crop hit his inner thigh, hard.

‘You’re such a needy slut. Does it really feel that good to be at my complete mercy?’

Zoro let out a chuckle.

‘Like I would ever give you the upper hand, Ero-cook. How does it feel to be able to treat someone as you’re treating me now you sadistic bastard?’

Zoro’s grin was cut short as Sanji hit him across the face with the crop.

‘That’s not an answer to my question.’ 

Zoro grin returned, although he tried his best to hide it. He could hear the annoyance in the cook’s voice. 

‘ _‘Oh yes! Hit me harder, I love it when you hurt me!’_ Is that the sort of thing you hoped I’d say?’

Sanji ran the crop slowly down Zoro’s neck, across his chest and abs, and down to his straining erection. He could hear the sharp intake of breath as he lightly tapped at the head so that it bobbed up and down.

‘Don’t forget that I’m doing you a favour here. You could at least play the part,’ the crop moved down to Zoro’s balls, gently rubbing over them which caused Zoro to groan and squirm. ‘Or maybe, I’ll just keep on teasing you, hitting you, and playing with you and not let you come?’

Zoro must have been hard to the point of being painful, but he refused to give in to the cook.

‘Try it. You forget that you’re the one that turned this into a mutual kink fest you fucking pervert.’

Zoro flinched and groaned as something was clipped to his right nipple, followed shortly after by his left one also being painfully clamped. His dick twitched. 

‘Says the person who gets a hard-on through feeling pain. How is that my fault?’ 

Sanji pulled lightly on the chain connecting both nipple clamps, causing the other man to hiss.

‘I could have dealt with them. I didn’t need you to-‘

‘Bullshit. You need the humiliation as much as you need the pain. You mouth is the only part of you that can’t get past your pride. Can’t you feel how much your cock is dripping?’

Zoro’s cheeks flushed.

‘It just so happens that I also get something out of this arrangement. Bend forward.’

Zoro didn’t move out of stubbornness, which caused Sanji to sigh and roll his eyes.

‘I can easily knock you off-balance so you fall forward, but you’ll probably land on your cock, so it’s your choice~’

Zoro bent forward with a growl, his ass now sticking out behind him. Sanji grinned in triumph. Zoro was trying his best to save face, but the matter remained that he needed this.  
Sanji became aware only recently that Zoro needed to be stripped of that pride every so often, that he craved the feeling of letting his mind go and embracing his senses. Maybe the swordsman would have an easier time with someone other than Sanji, but then again, to submit to the man against whom he held the most pride was probably worth a thousand times more. 

For Sanji though, he knew he had no upper hand. He knew that Zoro would only give up control if it was what he truly wanted, but he still got such a rush when it happened, and not because he felt superior, but because this man was trusting him that much to not see his submission as weakness.  
Sanji rustled around in the duffel bag behind him and pulled out a flail whip, a butt-plug and some lube. As he snapped open the cap he saw a slight wriggle from Zoro.

‘I bet you’re waiting in anticipation of what I’m going to do next, hm?’ Zoro shifted once more, straining his ears to try and make sense of the noises behind him.

‘Get on with i-nnngh!’ 

Sanji brought the whip down hard on Zoro’s left ass cheek to shut the man up before squeezing a generous amount of lube onto the butt-plug. He then used the plug against the crevice of Zoro’s ass, earning a shocked yelp from Zoro at the coldness, and began slowly spreading the lube with the tip without actually breaching the ring of muscle. Zoro rocked back slightly with his hips, but it was to no avail as Sanji copied the movement with a light chuckle.

‘Getting needy, are you?’

Zoro growled again, and this time a tone of desperation was audible.

‘Hurry up and do it already.’

Sanji pushed the tip slowly a centimetre or so before letting it slide back out again, causing the muscle to twitch. He playfully dipped it in and out, refusing to push it in all the way.

‘Saying it in such a way won’t make me go any quicker; if anything, I’ll go even slower. You should know that by now, Moss-brain.’ 

Zoro balled his fists in frustration, which Sanji noticed instantly, giving Zoro’s ass a light swat with the whip.

‘Don’t you dare break that restraint, Moss-head. It wasn’t fucking cheap.’

Zoro let out a strangled groan, the annoyance evident. 

‘Do something then, you fucker!’

The frown on Sanji’s face deepened as he took the plug away from Zoro’s touch completely. He knew this was coming. And he also knew that Zoro knew exactly how to get what he wanted, but his stupid stubbornness wasn’t letting up.

‘Listen up you fucking idiot. I know what you want and you know what I want, and you also know that how you’re acting now is going to achieve neither.’

The silence following Sanji’s outburst resounded as Sanji let Zoro process his rant. Zoro’s arms visibly relaxed as he tried to reign in and dissipate his sexual aggression. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

‘...please.’

Sanji didn’t have to be told twice, and he didn’t want to anger the man further, so as soon as the butt-plug made contact he pushed it past the puckered skin, watching it expand slowly before the plug slid to a stop. Zoro let out a needy moan as he was stretched open, the slight burn and the feeling of being filled being something he sought.  
Sanji stood from his position, readying the whip.

‘That-‘ he gave Zoro a good smack with the whip, which made Zoro tense around the plug involuntarily, causing a jolt of pleasure to accompany the pain.

‘Wasn’t-‘ Another smack caused Zoro to moan again, his ass now sticking itself out further.

‘Difficult, now was it?’ Sanji fell into a rhythm, alternating between cheeks and slowly turning the skin a lovely shade of pink. Zoro was panting at this point, his cock begging for release.  
Sanji paused, watching the man below him squirm in pleasure.

‘Would you like to come?’

Zoro bucked his hips again, his dick searching for contact with something, anything, but finding nothing.

‘Y-yes... p-please.’

Sanji knelt behind Zoro in order to untie the tie that was restraining his erection which earned a sigh of relief from Zoro. He then undid the restraint from one of Zoro’s arms and stood up again.

‘I’m gonna beat the shit out of you now. Don’t you fucking dare touch your cock; I know that the pain and the plug are more than enough.’  
Sanji stroked the flail whip over the abused flesh of Zoro’s ass. ‘But when you’re literally about to blow I want you to pull the chain connecting those clamps as hard as you can, got it?’

Zoro reached his hard around, fingering the chain experimentally. Sanji put his foot on the base of the butt-plug, giving it a slight push, meriting a moan.

‘Oi, shit-head. Can I get an ‘I’ve got it’?’ 

He pushed on the butt-plug harder.

‘Got it,’ was the strained response.

Sanji grinned, placing both his feet firmly on the floor and raising the whip. It came down with a resounding smack, following through before circling up to hit the other side. Sanji fell fast into a figure of eight rhythm, hitting as hard as he could, Zoro’s moans and pants echoing around the room. Sanji’s upper arm strength wasn’t half as powerful as Zoro’s, but he was no push over. Each smack caused Zoro to tense around the plug, pleasure and pain mixing together in a delicious cocktail of sensations.

‘Fuck...fuck! I’m gonna- I’m gonna come!’

Sanji continued the pace as Zoro’s cries peaked.

‘Nnnnggg, fuuuuck!’

The swordsman climaxed hard as the clamps were ripped from his nipples, his entire body tensing and spasming before he slumped into a panting mess. Sanji dropped the whip immediately, bending down to release Zoro’s arms fully.

‘You alright?’ he asked, gently pulling out the plug as Zoro was evidently still in the moment.

‘Fucking amazing.’

Zoro stayed in the same position, his breathing now returning to normal. Sanji looked over at him with uncertainty. 

‘Shall I... run you a bath?’

Zoro finally moved to roll onto his back, spread-eagled and naked, giving no shits. He pulled off the blindfold and look pointedly at Sanji.

‘I don’t need to be pampered, shit-cook. I’m not a fucking woman.’

Sanji scowled.

‘Like I’d ever do _that _to a woman, you caveman.’__

____

__

Zoro grinned, tauntingly.

‘I bet you don’t. Looks like I’m a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you then. Unless there’s anyone else you can find to satisfy your-‘

‘Don’t even finish that sentence you fucking moron. I may get into it when the time comes but it still doesn’t beat the feel of a woman.’

Zoro closed his eyes, his head falling back again.

‘Heh. On that note I’ll let you take a shower first. You can get rid of your little problem whilst thinking about Nami, or whatever.’

Sanji flushed, stuttering over words to express that this was definitely not because of Zoro, and making a swift retreat to the showers angrily.  
Zoro lay where he was, satiated and relaxed, amusement plastered on his face. 

He could get used to this.


	2. Chapter 2

 

_6 weeks earlier~_

Zoro wiped the blood from his eyebrow, panting to gain his breath, whilst Sanji jumped back and raised his leg in a defensive stance, slight concern on his face. It was a rare occurrence that he managed to get in a kick like that.

‘You’re losing your touch, Moss-brain. You could have blocked that.’

Zoro said nothing as he pressed down on his brow to try and stop the bleeding, mainly to stop it from running into his eye. 

Sanji relaxed his stance, pulling out a cigarette.

‘Go see Chopper and get it stitched. We’ll call it a draw.’

Zoro gave his brow one last wipe, then raised his swords again, taunting grin in place.

‘Don’t underestimate me, shit-cook.’

Sanji frowned, pocketing his cigarettes once more. It was obvious that the blood was affecting the swordsman’s vision as he kept trying to blink it out, but who was Sanji to call him out on it.

‘Have it your way Marimo.’

Sanji lunged, swinging his leg towards Zoro’s torso. Zoro blocked it with one sword, swinging the other towards Sanji’s grounded leg. Sanji jumped to avoid it, switching legs and aiming a kick to Zoro’s abdomen whilst his swords were busy.  
Zoro doubled over as the kick connected, the wind being knocked out of his as he was knocked back a few feet.

‘Call it quits you idiot. You can’t fucking see properly.’

Zoro growled, raising his swords once more. Sanji was beginning to lose his patience with the stubborn fuck.

‘I’m not doing this with you. You’re not at your best so go and see the fucking doctor.’

‘We’re doing this!’

It was Zoro’s turn to lunge, metal slicing through the air as Sanji felt a wave of frustration. 

‘Are you a fucking masochist?? Fine then!’

If this is what Zoro wanted, then fine. Sanji will just have to teach him the art of not-being-a-fucking-moron.  
He dodged with ease, although Zoro preempted his movements and sliced up to meet him. Sanji barely managed to evade that one, impressed that Zoro’s fighting ability had began to evolve beyond the need for sight. But even still, sight was not to be taken for granted. Sanji sidestepped him gracefully, keeping he sound of his breathing low so as to make much noise, which was probably an aid to Zoro’s low vision.  
Sanji gathered force behind his coming roundhouse with a full 360 spin, before it connected with a crunch to Zoro’s ribs.  
Zoro was sent flying into the mast and fell into a heap, clutching his ribs, his breath coming out in wheezes. Sanji balled his fists at the sight.

‘I fucking warned you, you stupid piece of fucking algae.’ He relaxed his stance. ‘I’ll go and get Chopper.’

Zoro awkwardly got to his feet, his back to Sanji as he started to walk stiffly towards the cabins.

‘No, it’s... fine. I’ll go see him in a bit, I have to go wash this blood out of my eyes first.’

Sanji rolled his eyes at the retreating man, deciding that he should probably go and forewarn Chopper and also give a true account of what happened considering Zoro wasn’t overly talkative when he had injuries. Fucking egotistical bastard.

Chopper was sitting with Robin, who was reading him a story about some legendary temple somewhere, but she paused when Sanji entered the room looking relatively serious. 

‘What’s the matter, Cook-San?’ 

‘Erm, so sorry to bother you my sweet but, Chopper, Zoro will need you to stitch him up in a bit.’

Chopper’s eyes widened.

‘What? Why? Where is he now?’

‘He’s gone to wash the blood off his face. He has a cut above his eye and, erm, potentially a broken rib.’ 

Chopper jumped to his feet, turning into his heavy point form and pointing at the cook furiously.

‘What the hell, Sanji? I’m guessing you have something to do with it considering you’re here.’

Sanji raised his hands, defensively.

‘Yes, we were sparring, and yes, the cut on his eye was a lucky shot from me. But the ribs were his fault! I told him to come see you after the eye thing cos he couldn’t see but he wanted to carry on!’

Robin closed her book gently.

‘Oh my goodness, although that does sound like Bushido-San... We can finish this later, Doctor-Kun, if you’d like?’

Chopper sighed with exasperation, changing back into his normal form and facepalming. 

‘Thanks Robin, that’d be great.’

He stomped out of the room, heading towards the showers, leaving Sanji looking sheepish whilst Robin surveyed him.

‘He’ll be fine. He heals quickly,’ she offered, although Sanji wasn’t overly bothered about the swordsman’s condition, it was his own god-damn fault.

‘We know he will, my flower, I just hate having to disturb you. What were you reading?’

Robin showed him the cover of the book, which showed an old temple with light resonating from some of the stones.

‘It’s a legendary temple that’s supposedly one one of the grand line islands. It’s said to have magicks protecting its treasures from outsiders and that only certain people can enter.’ Robin opened the book and turned to a page which showed glowing tiles and glyphs.

‘Magic? Is that a real thing?’

Sanji came to sit next to her, examining the pages as she turned them.

‘Who knows? We have devil fruits so it isn’t completely impossible for other forms of magic to exist. Or maybe it is the work of a devil fruit user? It’s intriguing, isn’t it?’

‘That it is, my lovely. Do you think it’s a real place?’

‘Only as real as I thought Sky Island was before we discovered it.’

Sanji nodded in agreement. Robin closed the book once she’d shown Sanji all the diagrams.

‘Well, who knows? Maybe we’ll get to see it if it’s real,’ he offered. Robin smiled gently, just as Chopper came storming back into the room furiously, gaining both of their attention.

‘He won’t come out! Argh!’

Sanji furrowed his brow.

‘Why not?’

Chopper flung himself into the armchair in the corner of the room, folding his arms.

‘I don’t know! Told me he’d come to me when he’s finished. Sanji, this is your mess! Go sort it out!’

Sanji deadpanned.

‘You think he’s more likely to come out at my request rather than yours? Really?’

‘Sanji,’ Chopper screeched angrily, ‘if he’s really broken a rib then it may have punctured a lung so excuse me for being irrational!’

Sanji’s gut dropped as he realised how serious Zoro’s condition could be.

‘Okay, sorry, I’m on it.’

Sanji stood and made his way out onto the deck. Why the fuck did he have to be dragged into it because of that Neanderthal’s inability to take care of himself?

He climbed the wooden ladder that joined the bath-house to the rest of the ship and stilled as he reached the door. He could hear the running of the shower, and there was something else, masked behind the sound of running water.  
Zoro sounded like he was in pain. Shit. Sanji panicked, reaching for the door handle which was, as he expected, locked.

‘Oi! Oi Marimo, are you okay?’

He banged on the door with urgency, and the sounds inside stopped instantly followed shortly by the sound of water cutting out.  
An angry snarl came from inside, taking Sanji aback.

‘Will. You. Fuck. Off?’

Sanji pulled out a cigarette, bringing it to his lips as he rummaged for his lighter in his inside pocket in order to keep calm. That was a bit unmerited. What the fuck was going on? 

‘Oi, fuck-face. I have express orders to deliver you to Chopper, so no. I will not fuck off. Hurry the fuck up or I’ll knock the door off its hinges.’

The door clicked and then opened slightly. Zoro’s face appeared in the gap, an evident bruise already making its way down to his eye. His teeth were bared and he looked livid.

‘I’m serious, cook. Go. Away. The ribs aren’t broken and the eye stopped bleeding so you and Chopper can fucking chill.’

It took a few seconds to process what Zoro said before Sanji lost it. 

He was used to the way Zoro spoke to him (hell, he gave the same back) but the fact was that Chopper wanted to check over his wounds to make sure they weren’t serious. Because he was fucking worried. How dare the shitty swordsman be angry at the little doctor for that. 

‘You fucking piece of shit!’

Sanji booted the door in, not caring that Zoro was just on the other side of it. Zoro’s eyes widened at Sanji’s outburst a second before he was hit in the face by the door he was hiding behind. He stumbled backwards as the door was forced open, losing his balance and landing on his ass painfully. 

Sanji pushed into the bathroom ready to kick some shit, but then suddenly halted.

Zoro’s breath hitched as he sat there, stark naked, with a solid erection.

‘Wh- what the fuck Marimo?’


	3. Chapter 3

 

It was two days after Sanji had barged in on Zoro’s boner, and needless to say Zoro was avoiding him. 

After Sanji’s ‘What the fuck, Marimo?’ outburst, Zoro had just snatched up his clothes and stalked past Sanji to lock himself in the bathroom next door. He came out half an hour later only to let a furious Chopper stitch him up and check him over, before retreating to the crows nest. He’d come down for meals, but he would avoid any eye contact or conversation with Sanji. He wouldn’t even make snide remarks.

Sanji had no idea how to process the information. Part of him felt an understanding as to why Zoro was so frustrated with him and Chopper for the disturbance, but another part was slight confusion. It wasn’t unusual for them to want some alone time, but what was unusual was the circumstances surrounding it. Heck, maybe Zoro was a masochist after all. Sanji didn’t overly care as everyone had their dirty little secrets.  
However, what he did care about was the fact that he was being avoided over something so stupid. Was Zoro ashamed?  
Sanji guessed it made sense though, to a degree. The two of them were constantly butting heads and maybe Zoro thought that this would be something Sanji held over him. He wouldn’t, for the record.  
He wanted to tell Zoro that but thought he’d probably be making things worse if he did. 

Fuck, why did it even bother him so much? Ah well.  
Sanji figured he’d just give the other man the space he obviously wanted, and then hopefully they’d get back to ripping the shit out of each other, both verbally and physically, before he knew it.

Later that evening, Nami announced that they were approaching an island, which was good news all around as it gave Sanji an excuse to restock some supplies, and it also meant that the crew would be able to stretch their legs and get a change of scenery.  
The island itself had quite a large harbour filled with ships of all sizes and as the crew approached the gangway they could already hear that the town was rather rowdy. Bars lined the harbour in abundance, from which drunkards emerged either talking loudly with their drinking buddies before disappearing into the next bar, or else heckling others in order to start trouble.

Nami looked around skeptically, frowning with discontent as a man roared and smashed a bottle over another man’s head, which had the whole street cheering and egging for a fight.

‘Erm, maybe we should wait til morning and hope it calms down?’

Zoro acted as though Nami hadn’t said anything and began walking towards the source of the noise casually.

‘Oi, Zoro?!’ Nami questioned angrily.

Zoro carried on his saunter and called back over his shoulder with a wave, ‘I don’t know what you guys are buying, but this is my kind of town. Getting a beer.’  
Nami face-palmed with a frustrated groan.

‘I’m going too!’ announced Luffy, but Nami had him in a fish hook before he even took two steps.

‘Luffy, no. We don’t need you causing trouble. We’ll come back in the morning when the respectable stores are open and when, hopefully, all these louts are in bed suffering with hangovers and concussions.’

‘What about Zoro?’ asked Usopp, watching the green-haired man disappear into the crowd of hooligans. Nami sighed.

‘Let’s hope he has the sense to not start trouble...’

 

Sanji was in the galley making meal plans when he heard heavy footsteps on deck. Everyone else had gone to bed already, meaning that either Zoro had miraculously found the ship, or they had a trespasser.

He put down his pen and cautiously made his way out onto the deck, careful not to make too much noise.  
The person in question was already on their way to the library, so Sanji sped up slightly in order to catch up.  
Dark spots of liquid caught his eye, making a trail from the gangway and shining in the moonlight. Blood. Whoever it was was injured.  
As he approached the library he was able to see someone climbing up the ladder towards the bath-house on the floor above, and could make out the shape of multiple swords attached to their waist. So it was Zoro. But why was he injured? How was he injured?

Sanji continued his pursuit, reaching the ladder as he heard the door on the level above close.  
He grimaced as he put his hand on a patch of blood as he was climbing, already starting to become sticky. Fucking idiot Marimo.  
As he reached the door, he could hear groaning from inside. He immediately thought of when Zoro had come here a few days, and remembered that this was similar. Was he genuinely hurt? Where was the injury? ...And would he be bothering some sort of alone time if he knocked and expressed concern? Not that he was concerned with what the stupid idiot did.

Sanji sank to to the floor, resting his back on the locked door and pulled out a cigarette. The loud clicks of his zipper lighter seemed to go unnoticed by the other man, much to Sanji’s relief, and he breathed in the nicotine deeply. What the fuck was this situation?

His ears perked as the sounds from inside the bathroom started to pick up pace and Sanji wrinkled his nose when it occurred to him that he was definitely listening to Zoro jack off. He decided that he’d better leave the man to it as he obviously wasn’t injured too seriously if that was the case, and voyeurism wasn’t really his thing.

He quietly descended the ladder and decided to call it a night.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvv

 

Chopper screeched hysterically when Zoro walked into the galley for breakfast. His entire face was covered in a blue bruise that seemed to spread from a cut on the bridge of his nose that was swollen.

Nami gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her hand.

‘Holy shit dude,’ Franky yelped, frowning deeply.  
Zoro rolled his eyes.

‘Yes, it’s broken but I fixed it.’

‘What do you mean you fixed it??’ Chopper shrieked, running over to assess the damage.

Zoro looked unimpressed.

‘I mean I straightened it out so it wouldn’t heal funny.’

‘I should have been there,’ said Luffy, looking dejected. ‘Looks like it would have been fun.’

Nami hit him on the back of the head, shutting him up.

Chopper let out a frustrated groan, standing on a chair so he could get a better look. ‘You should have woken me up!’ 

Zoro squatted down so that he was on the same level as the little doctor.

‘Chopper, please don’t worry, it looks worse than it is because of the bruising.’

Chopper’s eyes filled with tears. 

‘But it looks terrible,’ he sobbed.

‘Honestly, it doesn’t even hurt. The bruising will go in a few days.’

 

Vvvv

After breakfast Zoro left to, presumably, go back up to the crows nest where he’d been hiding out for the past few days, but Sanji followed him and called after him.

‘How on earth did someone manage to do that to you?’ 

This was a man who had reflexes like a cat, and yet he’d managed to get a broken nose from a nobody on a backwater island. Something didn’t add up, but it gave Sanji a hunch.  
Zoro slowed and turned to scowl at him darkly.

‘ _You_ can go fuck yourself.’

Sanji’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

‘What the fuck was that for?’

Zoro stomped up to him so that they were inches apart, his golden eye boring into Sanji’s blue.

‘Don’t think I don’t know that you followed me last night.’ He hissed, keeping his voice as low as he could. Sanji’s stomach dropped slightly, as he raised his hands between them defensively.

‘Woah woah, what the fuck are you on about?’

‘Your cigarettes, shit-cook. A late night smoke maybe? Ring any bells?’

Fuck. Zoro had left the bathroom into the hall where Sanji had lit up. Of course he would have been able to smell the smoke. 

‘In my defence there was a trail of blood leading up there. I thought you were either a trespasser or that you were an injured member of the crew.’

Zoro gave a mock laugh.

‘So why’d you go back down then? No, don’t answer that. Just leave me the fuck alone.’

‘I don’t care.’ Sanji said simply shaking his head. ‘What you do in your own time is your business. I just don’t think you’re going about it the right way.’

Zoro‘s anger spilled over into a snarl as he jabbed Sanji in the chest with his finger. 

‘I don’t give a fuck if you don’t care or what you think, we both know you’re only sticking your nose in to be an asshole! Leave me the fuck alone!’

Sanji felt a twinge in his chest at that accusation. ‘I could tell Chopper what I know, and then I’d really be an asshole.’

Zoro bared his teeth, threateningly. ‘You wouldn’t dare.’

‘No, I honestly wouldn’t, but don’t you dare say that I’m only doing this to be a dick. Look at your face, Marimo, for God’s sake. Do you really think that no-one's going to notice if you keep getting hurt? What about Chopper?’

Zoro looked at the floor with a frown. He obviously didn’t like the state the doctor got into whenever one of them got injured.

‘Then what? Hide it better? Stop getting hurt altogether? What, are you my mother now?’  
Sanji snorted. It wasn’t lost on him how awkward this situation was. They hardly ever expressed any sort of kindness or compassion for one another. That wasn’t to say it wasn’t there.

‘I… honestly don’t know. Just… try and be careful, yeah?’

Zoro grunted in response, his shoulders slumping as he let his muscles relax with a resigned sigh. He turned to walk away from their conversation.

‘I’m going to train…’


	4. Chapter 4

Zoro punched the wall with heavy force, and at the same time a strangled roar released itself from his chest. He felt anger and frustration building up inside him as he pulled back his fist and hit the wall a second time, the pain relieving some of the pent up adrenaline that had his chest aching. He slowly opened his hand to stare at the split knuckles he’d just given himself, the pain dissipating that awful feeling of rage to exchange it for something else, something more agreeable, and slumped to the floor, cross legged. 

He’d been out in the town for the majority of the day, and had managed to wander unbeknownst into a shady part of the red light district. Whilst the his was definitely not his intention, an image on one of the signs that he wouldn’t usually look twice at caught his eye. It showed the silhouette of a man chained up on his knees, with a second silhouette of a woman standing behind him brandishing a whip. A sudden involuntary image of himself being in the position of the man flashed into his mind and went straight to his dick.  
Zoro was suddenly horrified by his body’s reaction, and decided he needed to get out of there before he ended up with a full-on erection.

And so he walked in the opposite direction as fast as he could, trying his best to clear his mind. He used meditative techniques in order to empty his head, focusing on the sound of his breathing because he didn’t want his mind to betray him yet again. However, he knew he’d have to try and battle his urges at some point as meditation would only be able to placate him for a shortened period of time and was definitely not a long term thing if he wanted to function properly, although the absurd idea did cross his mind.

After a few hours of wandering the streets, aimlessly looking for something hing he recognised, he managed to stumble upon the harbour and the Sunny, much to his relief as indecent thoughts kept pushing their way into his head.

 

And so ensued Zoro taking his frustrations out on one of the Sunny’s walls with his fist.

 

As he continued to look down at his bloodied hand, his mind continued to race. How did he get himself into this mess? And why on Earth was it that the stupid cook was so clued in, almost more-so than himself? Perhaps it was a coincidence, but that one question from the cook a few days ago changed everything.

_‘Are you a fucking masochist?’_

Zoro had to admit that he liked a good fight. He sought to fight, he loved the rush it gave him when he came up against somebody who could match him, and it spurred him on to improve his skills giving him a sense of fulfilment. 

But there was something else. Something that he’d never really picked up on until that one unassuming question seemed to drop something into place in his mind.  
Yes, he’d gotten stirrings in his loins during a heated, exiting battle, but his entire life was one where sexual urges and thoughts didn’t even cross his mind for favour of a decent challenge, so he put it down to his body becoming confused by the excitement of battle.

However, the minute Sanji asked that question had Zoro wondering whether it could be true, and because his mind delved into the gutter for the first time in a long time, his body seemed to answer his question for him.

Even now, as he thought of his throbbing knuckles, he could feel himself begin to stir. Fuck this shit.

Zoro stood and headed for the bathroom. There was only one way his body was gonna calm down at this point and as much as he wished he could will it away himself, he hadn’t had the practice with this particular scenario and so in theory his body was acting the same as a teenage virgin’s after seeing a pair of boobs.

Once he reached the shower room he locked the door firmly and undressed in a flurry of clothing, his dick standing fully to attention now it was without any constraints. Zoro scowled down at himself, pressing his thumb into his swollen knuckles, the resulting pain making his boner twitch.

‘Fucking really?’ He questioned with exasperation. 

He started up the shower, ignoring his aching dick in spite of himself and proceeded to lather up.  
His muscles still ached from where Sanji kicked him a few days ago, and he relished the feeling as he ran his hands over his lean abdomen with a groan as he felt himself relax further.

Once he’d washed himself all over, making sure to wash his face relatively gently to avoid aggravating the cuts to his eyebrow and nose, his attention went back to his dick. It was aching to be touched, and so he ran his calloused hands over it softly, the lather making everything much smoother. He felt himself respond to the contact, the feeling in his gut building slowly as he teased himself experimentally. 

Testing the waters, and out of sheer curiosity, he pressed his thumb deep into the slit whilst squeezing his hand tightly around his girth, the resulting feeling making his knees almost give way.

It was an unusual mix of sensations and he wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, although his body seemed to respond positively. He went back to jerking himself off rhythmically with a pressure that wasn’t painful but gave enough friction to push him further to where he wanted to be. 

His breathing was becoming unsteady as he sped up to bring himself closer to release, and as he felt his dick harden and his balls tighten he slammed his free fist into the tiles once, twice, three times, which was enough to push him over the edge. He emptied his load with a guttural moan onto the wet tiles as his legs shook, the shower doing its job of washing all evidence down the plug hole.

He waited, free arm holding himself up against the tiles, as he tried to get his breathing under control. He closed his eyes, and let the sensations wash over him: the warmth of the water massaging his back muscles, the amazing feeling of relaxation that followed his climax, the throbbing pain in both sets of knuckles-  
He brought his hands up to his face, frowning at the angry red splits that had opened up in a few places due to multiple impacts with hard, solid surfaces, bruises already starting to appear.

He sighed as he opened and closed his hands. Chopper’s probably going to notice those. He really needed to get his impulses in order or he was gonna do some serious damage to himself. 

He turned off the shower, grabbing a towel from the shelf and drying himself down roughly, before dressing and heading back to the crows nest with the idea that a bit of meditation might do him good.

As he started climbing the rigging, he caught the scent of tobacco which got stronger the higher he climbed. He thought the ship was still empty. Pulling himself through the trap door, he glowered at the cook who was sat staring off into the horizon, cigarette in hand.

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ He growled.

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette, turning his head to face Zoro, looking completely unimpressed.

‘It’s my watch tonight, shit-for-brains. So the real question should be what the fuck are _you_ doing here?’

Zoro felt his ears turn pink, embarrassed that he’d just made himself look like an idiot. 

It was Usopp’s watch the night before, but only because Zoro wasn’t here to do it. Other than that he’d taken over watch in the recent days past out of convenience, considering he’d been holing himself up.

‘I’ll do it, you can go.’

Sanji rolled his eyes.

‘Go get some fucking sleep Marimo, it can’t be overly comfortable sleeping up here as often as you have been.’

Zoro took his swords off and placed them down on the bench, stressing his point.

‘I’m serious, cook. I want tonight’s watch.’

His voice sounded urgent and strained. Sanji frowned at him for a few moments, a concerned look on his face.

‘Is everything okay?’

Zoro ran his hands over his face in exasperation.

‘Look, I’ll take watch, and you can go make some sickeningly sweet treats for the girls or something, I don’t care, but I just want to be left alone, okay?’  
Sanji frowned harder, now staring at Zoro’s hands.

‘What happened to your knuckles?’

Zoro’s stomach dropped as he realised he’d just given Sanji a full view of the damage he’d done to his hands. He turned them so that Sanji could no longer see the backs, and the cook’s gaze instead turned itself to Zoro’s face, questioning. 

Zoro’s response came without any bite to it at all, as all the confusion and inner turmoil he’d been experiencing over the past few days overwhelmed him.

‘Please, just... leave me alone.’

Sanji slowly sat himself up straight, looking at the man in front of him and sensing the despair he was emitting.  
It was so unusual for Zoro to act like that, and it made Sanji uncomfortable, a tight knot of worry building in his gut.

‘Zoro, ‘ he started softly, ‘I know this is totally out of character for whatever ‘relationship’ we have, but... let me help.’

Zoro’s eyes flicked to Sanji’s at the use of his name, a slight frown on his features.

‘You can’t.’ He replied, shortly. There was no way in Hell he was going to explain anything to the cook, of all people. He’d rather be shoved off the Sunny whilst at sea. 

‘Zoro...’

Zoro snapped. He stomped over and grabbed Sanji by the front of his shirt, pulling him to his feet.

‘Stop using my fucking name, you never use my name. Don’t think I can’t sense your pity, Sanji, and as far as I’m concerned you can shove it up your ass. Now just fuck off before I really get pissed!’

Sanji was now staring Zoro down just as hard as Zoro was him. 

‘What if I offered to hurt you so you didn’t have to?’

Zoro’s eyebrows shot up in shock, his hold on the cook’s shirt loosening.

‘...what?’


	5. Chapter 5

‘You heard me.’

Zoro didn’t know how to respond, and so stood there with his mouth agape, trying to work out exactly what Sanji was implying.  
After a few moments he seemed to come to his senses and released Sanji by roughly shoving him backwards. He regarded the cook suspiciously, his eyes narrowing. 

‘What do you mean?’ He asked carefully.

Sanji’s eyebrows knitted together as he noticed the swordsman’s guarded stance. He rolled his eyes impatiently.

‘For fuck’s sake, Marimo. Let’s just say that it’s clear, to me that is, that you’ve discovered you like pain.’

Zoro winced.

‘And,’ continued Sanji, ‘if you carry on the way you’re going then you’re gonna do some serious damage to yourself.’

Zoro scowled.

‘And so you want to cause me damage instead?’

Sanji sighed, rolling his eyes for the second time.

‘No. I mean I can help inflict pain that doesn’t cause any long term damage.’

‘Okay,’ said Zoro slowly, still not understanding Sanji’s angle on this. ‘And what’s in it for you?’

Sanji’s eyes widened fractionally at the question, but he looked away and gave a shrug.

‘I just wanna help you. You’ve looked kinda pathetic the past few days-‘

‘Fuck you!’ 

Zoro felt a pang in his chest at the insult, his anger beginning to rebuild in his chest at Sanji’s words.  
So it was pity. What other reason would the cook have?  
Zoro was not going to allow someone to revel in his misery, in how weak he was at trying to keep his urges at bay. Zoro grinned through his anguish.

‘You just want to mock me, is that it? Want to feel superior to me? Cos God knows that’s the only way that would ever happen,’ he spat.  
Sanji looked pissed, his eyes narrowing.

‘Is that how you see me? You think I’d see it as some kind of one-up on you?’

‘Of course you-‘

‘Shut the hell up you fucker.’ Sanji raised his voice, cutting Zoro off sharply. ‘You honestly think that I’d be that tied up in our little game of ‘who’s the best’ that I would take advantage of your situation, despite everything we’ve been through as nakama, and use it against you? Like that’d satisfy me?’

Zoro’s stomach twisted. Although he knew Sanji was right, he couldn’t help but wonder whether, if the situation was reversed, he’d feel in a position of empowerment. Sanji, on the other hand, had a smaller ego than Zoro did, although Zoro hated to admit it.

And so Zoro had himself wondering: who was the better man? The one willing to let go of his ego for the sake of another, or the one who lets pride get in the way of reason?  
He hated that side of himself, and hated that he projected onto other people, specifically Sanji, his motives for doing something.  
Zoro shrugged half-heartedly, not really knowing how to say that he overreacted.

‘Well, let me tell you.’ Sanji hissed. ‘I’m not in the least bit interested in trying to make you feel like shit. However, if you keep hurting yourself in reckless ways, and it affects and upsets any other crew member, then I will personally beat the shit out of you so hard that you won’t be able to possibly find it to your liking.’

Sanji left swiftly, slamming the trap door behind him and leaving Zoro speechless. What’s more, the way Sanji just spoke to him did strange things to his body, leaving him both confused and frustrated yet again. He dragged his hands through his hair roughly and screamed through his teeth, literally almost done with all the shit he was feeling.

 

Vvvvvvvvvvv

‘Zoro, what happened to your hands??’ Chopper screeched at breakfast, dropping his fork back onto his plate. 

Zoro’s eyes snapped to Sanji briefly, who was giving him a blank and unreadable look, before he addressed Chopper as casually as he could.

‘It’s nothing really, I just thought I’d try practicing some moves with my fists, cos I can’t always depend on my swords.’

Usopp frowned as he took in the damage.

‘What were you practicing on, a rock?’

Zoro scowled at the sniper. He didn’t need anyone making out that it was worse than it was, especially when Chopper looked as worried as he did.

‘Zoro without his swords, that’d be interesting,’ mused Luffy. ‘You can train with me if you want?’

Luffy’s eyes lit up at the prospect, but he was ignored as Chopper ran around the table to inspect Zoro’s hands.

‘Oi, ow! They’re fine Chopper!’ 

‘You’ve definitely broken the left one, look at the swelling! You needed an ice-pack as soon as you did it! Sanji, do you have any ice??’

Sanji was watching the interaction with his arms crossed, obvious annoyance on his features at the fact that it was self-inflicted, but got up to go to the freezer at Chopper’s request. He emptied an ice cube tray into a tea towel and balled it up, handing it to Chopper. 

‘Hold this on each one for 15 minutes and it’ll help to take the swelling down. I can strap up your hand to restrict movement so it heals straight, but there’s not really much else I can do,’ said Chopper solemnly, making Zoro feel a small pang of guilt.

‘And if you do need to practice with your fists, it might be an idea to Luffy up on his offer,’ Nami offered. ‘At least he’s made of rubber.’

‘Yes! We can practice now if you want?’ 

‘Luffy, no.’ Nami smacked him on the head. ‘He’ll have to let them heal first.’

‘By the way Nami-Swan, did you say we were going to set sail today?’ asked Sanji, changing the subject.

‘Ah yes, the log pose set this morning so we can leave whenever. Everyone needs to make sure we’re stocked up on everything because it’s gonna be a couple of weeks before we hit land again.’

Everyone finished breakfast and headed back into town to stock up on supplies. 

 

Chopper didn’t let Zoro leave until he’d put a splint on his left hand to support the broken bone he had, Zoro contesting continuously as it meant his grip on his sword would be weakened. Chopper gave no shits.

 

Whilst in town, Zoro tried not to stray too far away from the harbour as he didn’t want to get lost again, and instead decided to go into a bar that was in sight of the ship, albeit still quite a distance. He took up a place at the bar, ushering over the barmaid and ordering a pint of cheap beer.

‘Look who we have here, lads.’

A burly man with blond hair and and a collection of gold jewellery and teeth sauntered over and rested his elbow on the bar next to Zoro. Zoro recognised him as the man who broke his nose a couple of days ago.

‘So, back for more, eh?’ The man laughed loudly.

Zoro took a swig of his beer.

‘Not in the mood today, so clear off before you get hurt.’

The man laughed louder still, some of his comrades laughing also, as though Zoro had just told them all a hilarious joke. The man slapped Zoro in the back.

‘You couldn’t even block me last time, yet you’re talking big now? I see your nose has straightened up; allow me to fix that for you.’

The man took a swing at Zoro, who swiftly dodged by sliding backwards off of the bar stool. Zoro pulled out one of his swords and blocked as another punch was thrown his way. 

‘Get him!’ The man yelled to the other spectators, who all hesitated for a split second before the entire bar erupted into a huge brawl. 

Zoro had no issues keeping them all at bay, and was more annoyed that he had to take a break from drinking his beer in order to defend himself. Piles of unconscious bodies hit the floor one after another as Zoro cut his way through the mass of drunkards. The barmaid was frantically speaking on the den den mushi as she explained the situation hysterically.

‘You’d better be careful,’ the blond man grinned, ‘the entire town will be after your blood. Ain’t that right, Charlotte, love?’ 

He motioned to the barmaid who gave him a nervous smile.

Shit. 

Zoro gave the man a quick swipe of his sword, knocking him unconscious before turning to leave the bar, the sounds of the barmaid screaming left behind.

As he ran towards the harbour, a few mobs started coming out of the other bars, all looking around. Zoro ran past Franky and yelled to him.

‘Everyone needs to get back to the ship!’

‘What the hell, bro?’ 

Franky began to run behind him, looking back into the distance to see people point to the green haired man as they caught sight of him.

‘I... erm... may have turned the entire town against me.’

Franky groaned, facepalming as he ran.

By the time they reached the ship they’d managed to round up Nami, Robin, Usopp, Luffy and Brook.

‘What the hell did you do??’ Nami screamed hysterically, as she tried her best to catch her breath, the crowd not showing any signs of slowing down. 

‘Never mind that, where’s Sanji and Chopper? Shit, never mind, we need to leave!’ Zoro pulled on the gangway in order to prepare the ship for leaving.

‘Hang on just a minute!’ Nami cried, flustered at Zoro’s order.

‘What the fuck is going on?’

Sanji and Chopper ran out of the galley to see what the commotion was; obviously they’d returned to the ship early, probably put supplies into storage.  
The mob had reached the harbour now and bullets started whistling past them as they all hit the deck in order to dodge.

‘Franky, go!’ called Luffy, who was currently fending off the bullets in order to protect everyone.

Franky, who had already made his way to the engine room, nodded as he powered up their emergency acceleration device.

‘Coup de burst!’

 

Once they’d gotten a fair distance from the island, Nami rounded on Zoro.

‘What the hell did you do?? I still had stuff to get! And what were you thinking when you thought of leaving without Chopper and Sanji?’

‘We’d have gone back for them when it was clear,’ justified Zoro, backing away from the fuming red-head.

‘Zoro??’ Chopper wailed, the thought of being left behind bringing tears to his eyes.

‘Why were they after you?’ Sanji asked with a frown, obviously having some inkling of what might have transpired.  
Zoro met his eye, but that accusatory look caused him to drop his gaze.

‘The guy who punched me the other night... he tried to start something. And, apparently, he’s well known.’

Nami sighed, rubbing her forehead.

‘Well at least we got away in time. We do not need to draw attention to ourselves by fighting an entire island of drunkards...’ she gave Zoro a pointed look. ‘Sanji, did you manage to get all the supplies?’

‘Yes I did Nami-swan!’ Sanji replied in a sing song voice.

‘Okay then.’ She smiled, ‘Good. We can relax from here out then.’

The crew all visibly relaxed at her words, trying to calm their nerves after being chased from an island, everyone going their separate ways to prepare for the journey.

Vvvvvv

 

Zoro made his way to the galley later on that evening while Sanji was cooking, his stomach turning itself inside out with anxiety.

Sanji heard his heavy boots enter the room, but didn’t turn around and continued prepping his food.

‘What do you want?’

Zoro pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, putting his forehead on the hard wood, groaning.  
Sanji stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the man impatiently.

‘Seriously, get to the point or get out of my kitchen.’

Zoro kept his head down, but managed to voice the reason he was there.

‘Can I… take you up on your offer from last night?’


	6. Chapter 6

Sanji studied Zoro for a few moments, who was still splayed out on the kitchen table, not looking at the cook. Sanji did have an idea of what Zoro was talking about but didn’t want to jump to conclusions, and Zoro’s body language wasn’t giving anything away.  
When Sanji didn’t reply Zoro rolled his head to the side so he could see if he was heard, his stomach twisting when he saw the cook looking at him skeptically, hand on hip.

‘Well?’ Zoro asked impatiently, his ears turning a light shade of pink.

Sanji shook his head in frustration as the tint of Zoro’s ears finally told Sanji what he wanted to know, and he crossed his arms across the front of the apron he was wearing, before glaring back at Zoro.

‘Are you serious right now? I thought you didn’t want any help.’

Zoro hid his face against the table once again and gave a half hearted shrug.  
Sanji scoffed.

‘Yeah, cos that attitude’s the way to go.’

Zoro forced himself to look back at the cook with extreme difficulty. He needed to calm himself down as he tried to push down how indignant he felt at Sanji’s irritable attitude. Not that he expected the situation to be any easier.

‘Look, okay, I kinda know you wouldn’t be a dick about it but...’ Zoro hesitated.

Sanji raised his eyebrows in question.

‘But you’re scared just in case you’re wrong?’

‘I’m not scared.’ Zoro stated flatly, scowling.

This reaction pissed Sanji off.

‘Oh no, because the great pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro isn’t afraid of anything.’ Sanji rolled his eyes. ‘Do you hear yourself sometimes?’

Zoro grit his teeth, starting to wish he hadn’t come here in the first place as his anger started to build.

‘Are you trying to start a fight?’

Sanji sighed deeply before untying his apron and pulling it over his head.

‘Quite frankly, no, I’m not. I just can’t stand how fucking proud you are, that you can’t even admit you’re human. I’ll help you out, but not if you won’t accept my help.’

Zoro frowned, confused at what Sanji was saying.

‘I was the one who asked, wasn’t I?’

‘Yes, but that means squat if you’re gonna verbally fight with me every time I point something out that chips into your pride.’

Zoro threw his arms in the air in frustration, kicking himself back in the chair.

‘What do you want me to say?’

‘I don’t want you to say anything. Just be aware that I’m not always trying to get a rise out of you.’

Zoro pouted, looking like a child who’d just been told off.

‘Fine, whatever, I got it.’

Sanji nodded his head once, aware that this was as good as he was going to get.

‘So... what exactly do you have in mind?’

Zoro’s eyes flicked to Sanji once more, his eyes widening at the sudden question.

‘Uh...’

Great start.

 

What did Zoro have in mind? He’d not overly thought about it, he just wanted the pain to be honest, although he knew that he’d feel awkward whatever they did due to the fact that it was Sanji who was helping him. Although he questioned whether he’d feel any better had it been any other member of the crew. Probably not.

‘You mentioned knowing how to...’ Zoro motioned vaguely, embarrassed, ‘without the lasting damage.’

Sanji nodded.

‘Yes. You don’t have to break bones, or your face,’ he looked pointedly at Zoro’s still-healing nose, ‘to get the effects you want.’

Sanji looked around carefully, before moving towards the door. Zoro watched him with confusion, half wondering whether Sanji was going to walk through it and leave him there. But Sanji turned the key in the lock before looking back to Zoro, who tensed up as he tried to work out Sanji’s intentions.  
Sanji started unbuckling his belt.

‘The fuck are you doing?’ Zoro asked, completely perplexed as to why Sanji seemed to be undoing his trousers.

‘Calm your shit. I just need the belt.’ Sanji pulled on it, sliding it out of his belt loops with a snap. ‘As I said, you don’t need to break bones. Take your shirt off and I’ll show you.’

Zoro’s eyes bulged.

‘ _Now?_ ’

‘No, tomorrow. Yes, now. The door’s locked so all you need to do is keep your voice down.’

Zoro grinned competitively, his hands gripping his shirt, pulling it out of his haromaki.

‘You make it sound like you’re going to be able to really hurt me.’

Sanji rolled his eyes as Zoro tugged off his shirt, dropping it on the floor in a heap.

‘Turn around.’

Zoro turned in anticipation.

‘Wow, so this is what it’s like when you actually do what I say, huh?’

Zoro actually laughed at that.

‘Shut the fuck up, cook.’

Zoro could hear Sanji snicker from behind him. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand as adrenaline started building at the thought of what was coming.

‘Okay, ready?’ Sanji asked.

‘Yup.’

Zoro’s back arched as the leather of the belt made contact, painting a sharp stripe as it hit from his right shoulder, running diagonally across his back. He breathed in deep, focusing on the deep burn that followed the initial sting, and rolled his shoulders in order to make sure he felt every aspect.

‘Another?’ asked Sanji as he paused after the first hit.

‘Is that as hard as you can go?’ Zoro taunted, playfully.

‘I didn’t want to hurt you too much,’ came Sanji’s reply.

‘Isn’t that the whole idea?’

Zoro had no warning before another strike hit, this time from his left shoulder, with comparatively more force than the first. Zoro groaned with satisfaction, closing his eyes and letting the burn wash over him. A third strike came without hesitation, followed by a fourth.  
Sanji started building up the strikes, making sure that they didn’t overlap too much as he painted the whole of Zoro’s upper back with lashes. On a few strikes Zoro felt the edges of the belt slice his skin slightly when Sanji didn’t manage to land the leather flat to his skin, but he figured the item wasn’t made with this purpose in mind anyway. Nonetheless he savoured the sensations that it drew out. Every time the belt made contact it created a wave of elation that built up with every hit. Zoro loved it.  
Sanji paused, which allowed Zoro to appreciate the full burn that was washing over him, his mind completely focused on the physical sensations he was experiencing.

‘Oh shit, I broke skin in a few places... I should have checked the belt beforehand...’

Zoro turned slowly to glance at Sanji, who’s eyebrows were knitted together as he ran a finger down the edge of the belt, testing it.

‘Hm?’ Zoro questioned, his head feeling slightly woolly. Sanji came closer, taking hold of Zoro’s shoulder with one hand and pushing him straight so he could examine the lashes.

‘I said I broke skin. You’ve got a few marks.’

‘So?’

Sanji let go of him which allowed Zoro to turn around again to look at him. Sanji’s seemed irritated.

‘What do you mean ‘so’? The whole point was me helping you to stop leaving marks on yourself. What’s Chopper gonna say?’ Sanji quickly threaded his belt though his trousers again, the annoyance still on his features.

Zoro’s mind was starting to clear again now as he became aware that their session had come to an end.

‘I thought the _point_ was to stop me from seriously hurting myself.’

Sanji paced the room a few times in his restlessness, not responding to Zoro’s comment. Zoro watched him, not understanding why he was so annoyed.

‘Cook?’

Sanji stopped, turning to look at Zoro.

‘We’ll have to wait until I can get something decent the next time we make land.’

Zoro frowned.

‘That’s gonna take weeks. What the hell am I supposed to do til then?’

Sanji started pacing again, something obviously really getting to him.

‘Oi, cook. Can you stop freaking out? It’s no big deal.’

Sanji stopped and looked at Zoro sternly, breathing deep to try and relax himself.

‘Zoro, for one, if you did anything to me which left a mark I’d be fucking fuming at your lack of restraint. And two, this is going to build up if it’s a recurrent thing and every time I see it I’m gonna be pissed at myself.’

Zoro shrugged.

‘Can’t you just get some healing creams or something? Cos I hate to break it to you but I don’t think it’s gonna cut it for me if you restrain yourself as much as you want to. I may as well go back to breaking things.’

Sanji huffed, glaring at Zoro.

‘You’re an idiot, do you know that?’

Zoro glared back, his body aching for more of what he’d just been denied.

‘You’re the one having a breakdown over a few scratches. If you’re gonna stop every time you get worried about the condition of my skin then you shouldn’t have got involved in the first place.’

He knew he was being harsh, but he didn’t ask for Sanji’s help until it was offered. Frustration was beginning to build in him again, and he just wanted something to disperse it.  
Sanji let out a sigh, the tension dissipating from his shoulders as he relaxed.

‘You need me to continue?’ he asked quietly.

Zoro raised his eyebrows, taken aback by Sanji’s sudden change of heart.

‘Are you sure you’re not gonna have another aneurysm?’

Sanji snorted, hands reaching for his belt.

‘Just... make sure you get some cream from the medical bay, okay?’

Zoro nodded once. Sanji pulled out his belt, frowning slightly as he ran his hand down its edge with concern.

‘Stop being a pansy. You didn’t care this much when you kicked me in the face.’

Sanji scowled at the insult, readying the belt in one hand for the first strike. Zoro turned so his back was available, and didn’t have to wait long as he felt the leather lick at his skin. He was immediately in a state of bliss once again as the burn returned, spreading out through his muscles.  
His mind remembered the image he’d seen in the previous town’s red light district; a man chained up on his knees, being flogged by a woman brandishing a whip, and then it flashed, as though to torture him, to him and the cook in the respective positions.  
A sense strong arousal washed over him going straight to his dick, followed swiftly by a stomach-dropping sense of dread. He turned, eyes wide, to look at Sanji unexpectedly in his shock.

‘Fuck!’ Sanji cussed, his eyes widening. As Zoro turned, the belt had obviously been mid swing, and struck him across his neck and arm awkwardly, which caused the leather to slice into his skin.  
‘Argh! What the fuck Marimo? Are you a fucking idiot?’

Zoro didn’t really register Sanji’s words as he bent over to pick up his shirt, fumbling to pull it over his head, eyes still wide and body twisting so that Sanji couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, namely his hardened dick. Zoro thanked the gods that his trousers were as loose as they were.  
Sanji hesitated as he noticed how hurriedly Zoro was moving. He sighed.

‘Did you get hard?’

Zoro’s face immediately went the brightest red as he stuttered over Sanji’s blunt observation.  
He needed to get out of there. He rushed to the door, pulling on it in his haste before remembering that it was locked.

‘Hey, can you chill?’ Sanji’s voice was slightly strained as he realised just how much of a situation Zoro had worked himself into.

  
Zoro fumbled with the key, accidentally knocking it out of the door in his eagerness to leave.

‘Fuck!’

Sanji raised his voice as Zoro bent to pick up the key.

‘Marimo, stay!’

Zoro froze.

Sanji chose this opportunity to walk over to him.  
Zoro didn’t freeze out of obedience, far from it, but out of shock that Sanji just _ordered_ him, like a dog. And in his current state it did things to him that he couldn’t comprehend.

‘Stand up and look at me.’

  
Zoro slowly got to his feet, his face giving the impression that he’d just seen a ghost, and turned to look at the cook, who was standing only two feet away. Sanji glared back at him angrily.

‘This was expected.’ Sanji said shortly.

Zoro came back to his senses at Sanji’s words. He became aware that Sanji’s gaze was making his skin burn and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He was beyond flustered and as it occurred to him again to just get out of there in order to calm himself down.

‘Like fuck it was.’

Zoro swiftly bent down with new conviction, picking up the key and shoving it into the lock as Sanji stepped back to give him a bit of space as he did so.

 

Zoro disappeared with a slam of the door, leaving Sanji wondering whether this would work at all and whether it was even worth it.


End file.
